


Finding you again

by mabukidot



Category: Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-09-24
Updated: 2016-03-27
Packaged: 2018-02-18 15:53:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 10,092
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2354018
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mabukidot/pseuds/mabukidot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU story where Solomon has frequently dreams about a certain woman who seems to be familiar. They finally meet again but she doesn’t seem to recognize him. What will Solomon do?</p><p>The 8th and 9th chapters are a little sequel I've always to write...</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The blurry dream

It’s been months since that day. The day he had discovered the truth. That uneasy feeling Solomon had felt since he was young. He had always known deep down he didn’t belong to this world but the worse was this terrible impression that something was missing. Something essential. It was at the age of 26 that his nightmares intensified to the point he became entranced with the idea of finding out what was haunting him. He had tried everything: hypnotism, meditation, therapy.. but nothing worked until now.

Solomon woke up once again in the middle of the night with that usual feeling of frustration. He knew the dream by heart, well if you can call a series of flashes a dream. It was the same fragments of what looked like a memory: a little girl with pink hair in a dark room, a group of friendly people surrounding him with smiles and laughter, and then again the same girl who’s now a beautiful woman who looks at him gently and says to him unintelligible words. Every time she appeared in his dreams, Solomon felt this warm feeling and every time he had tried to understand the words she was saying but in vain. What did that dream mean? And who was this woman?

It was 9:00 am and also time to go to work. Solomon was the owner of a bookshop situated in a busy district of the town. Ever since he was small, he had always loved to read. A passion that he had inherited from his parents who gave him his surname as a tribute to the legendary king. Even though he was not himself a king, he had always felt like one in this quiet place, surrounded by shelves of books. Solomon also loved that place for its location. Indeed, he made a lot of friends among the shopkeepers who sometimes visited him during the slack periods. They often talked about politics, social matters but also about their families and relatives. Sometimes, young and also older people came by to sit on the little chairs to read the newspaper or to work on their thesis.

Most of the time, Solomon was sitting on a chair behind the counter, sometimes looking up in order to prevent any attempt of stealing. Well, it was not as if it had ever happened. Most books were old and shabby but, for Solomon, all of them were priceless treasures. He was reading _Alibaba and the 40 thieves_ when the bell - fixed at the door - rang to announce a customer.

“Welcome!” Solomon said, nonchalantly glancing towards the door.

He was suddenly speechless and froze at the look of the young woman in front of him. She was petite with long dark red hair tied in a side braid and had two unruly locks on both sides of her head which looked like two little horns. Her eyes were dark brown and she had light freckles. She was wearing a light white cotton dress with red ballerinas, her right wrist covered of thin golden bracelets and she was carrying a small brown leather bag.

She smiled softly at Solomon and said “Good morning” to him before heading for the shelves full of books. She hadn’t noticed his sudden change of expression nor heard him saying in a whisper “Sheba”.


	2. How to reach you?

Twenty minutes had passed since her arrival and Solomon was still unsure what to do. A glance at her had brought back all of his memories suddenly, and now, everything was finally making sense!

Solomon felt suddenly nauseous, as if the flow of information was too dense and was threatening to implode inside of him. He did his best to stay focus and to calm down. He couldn’t let this chance leave. He had lost her once, he couldn’t lose her twice!

She chose that moment to come to the counter, a piece of paper that looked like a list at her right hand.

“Excuse me” she said nicely “I’m a new student and my teacher gave us a list of books to read for the year. I was wondering if, by any chance, you had them...”

Solomon tried to look as impassive as possible considering the situation and looked at the paper she was holding out to him.

“Art books, I see...” he said.

“My teacher is very demanding, he wants the whole class to have read and memorized half the books on this list in two months!”

She was grumbling now, her cheeks covered in a light red blush and her horns rising on her head making her look like a pouting cat.

“Seriously, how will I remember all that stuff in just two months, considering I have other classes and homeworks?! He must certainly be... Oh my, sir, are you okay?” she looked worried now “You really look pale!”

“I’m fine, I’m okay” he mumbled.

Sir, she called him sir!! She looked a bit guilty now:

“Sorry for bothering you with my annoying story... I swear you won’t hear me complaining anymore” she smiled softly.

Solomon glanced once again at the list and replied:

“I don’t have any of those books here but I can order them if you want.”

“Really??” the young woman looked relieved right now “Thank you so much, you are a life savior! And when do you think I can get them?”

“I don’t know, it depends on the other stores that usually supply me.” Solomon answered “The best thing to do would be to come by almost every day just in case. They tend to be supplied very sparingly...”

It was a huge lie. Solomon knew all the books in his shop and the entire list was patiently waiting in the stacks. But what other choices did he have? He needed to see her as much as possible.

“I understand” the young woman said “I’ve just moved nearby, so it’s not a problem for me! So, see you tomorrow! Bye!”

She was about to cross the door when Solomon stood up and shouted:

“Wait!”

She turned back to him, surprised.

“Yes, what is it?” she asked.

“Y-Your name, I need at least your surname for the order...” he replied.

She smiled and said:

“Oh sorry, I thought I had told you earlier, I’m Sheba, like the queen! Weird name, uh?”

He smiled weakly.

“Not as much as Solomon...”

She looked at him for a moment with a strange expression on her face but finally left.

When she was out of sight, Solomon locked the door and headed quickly for the bathroom situated in the back room. He ended up puking in the toilet and felt after that a bit better. He rinsed his throat and wetted his face with fresh water. He looked at his reflect in the mirror. She didn’t seem to have recognized him at all. True, his hair was now shorter and dark with blue tints just like his eyes but his face like hers did just stay the same and neither the clothes nor the hair could hide the fact that this woman was once the little girl he saved in this awful tower, the same girl who became one of the most powerful generals of the resistance and, on top of that, the woman who became his lover and his wife. Solomon closed his eyes and said “I’ve finally found you.”


	3. The connection between us

During this week, Sheba came by every day after her classes. At first, she was pretty shy towards Solomon but then, she started to warm up to him and now, they were used to chat sitting on comfy chairs face to face with a cup of tea until closing time. Even if she didn’t seem to remember him or her past life, Solomon was happy to see that her cheerful yet hot-tempered character didn’t change at all. She was talking about her drawing classes, her favorite music and movies but also about her childhood in an orphanage where there was an odd tradition which consisted in leaving to the child the possibility to choose their name at the age of four.

The nuns were fond of old tales and told her once about the legend of the queen Sheba. The young girl was amazed by this mighty queen who ruled successfully a kingdom thanks to her cleverness and wisdom. She felt oddly attracted to this name and chose it despite her comrades’ mockeries. The nuns respected her choice and even told her that she looked like she was born to bear this name which she commented to Solomon with laughter. “And your name is Solomon, haha!! It looks like we were meant to meet each other!” she said, ending her story with this line.

It was dark now outside and the library was only enlightened by small candles. It was almost closure time and yet, neither of them seemed to want to leave. Today was supposed to be their last day as Solomon couldn’t pretend anymore a problem due to a delivery’s delay. He was still hesitant about the way he would announce her the truth. Will she even believe a word he will say? It would be a miracle if she would and Solomon couldn’t blame her. He felt so frustrated to see her treating him merely as a good friend although, in their past life, they were happily married. “That must have been that kind of feeling Sheba felt when I was treating her like a kid. That hurts so badly...”

“You know”

Solomon flinched at her voice.

“Sometimes, I feel like people share connections without even knowing! I mean spiritual connections. For example, us! Just look at us for a second! I’ve known you since a week and yet, we can talk for hours about everything without getting tired of it! Call me crazy but I have the feeling we have already met!”

Solomon couldn’t hold it in any longer, it was unbearable at this point. He looked straight into her eyes and said very seriously :

“What if indeed? What if you were right? I mean, our strange connection like you said, our common tastes, our same view of the world, our incredible chemistry, even our names! You do believe in signs Sheba, don’t you?”

The young woman looked at him dumbfounded. She said hesitatingly:

“I-I do but Solomon, I don’t understand.. What are you trying to tell me exactly?”

It was too late to back down now. Solomon leaned his face towards hers and felt a bit relieved she didn’t move back. She was blushing now but her eyes were locked to his. The young man said:

“I mean that you and I are linked Sheba, we met once, it was written that we were going to meet again. It was fate.”

He leaned a bit more towards her until their lips meet. At first shy, the kiss began more passionate. Solomon was now kneeling under her, his hands on her cheeks. He could finally touch her. They didn’t even have to make any efforts to balance each other. It was just like they both knew how their minds and bodies work together. Suddenly, Sheba interrupted the kiss by pushing Solomon back releasing at the same time her face from his hands.

They were both out of breath and her face was bright red.

“I.. I have to go, I’m sorry” she said, her arms on his chest to prevent him from kissing her again. Solomon was confused. She didn’t fight back when he kissed her, what was going on?

“You hated it?” he asked.

Her face got even redder - if that was possible. Sheba caught her bag and ran towards the door. Solomon stood up and managed to catch her arm at the last minute before she left. She turned back to him and he put his hands on her arms gently.

“If I did something you didn’t like, I’m truly sorry” he said “But please, don’t hate me, I wouldn’t stand it! I love you Sheba and I know you feel something for me, otherwise why would you have spent all these hours with me everyday?”

Sheba leaned her head and started to bite her lower lips. She released herself from his grip and said without looking at him:

“I should have told you before, I have a boyfriend.”

The shock made Solomon unable to move or speak. Sheba turned her back and said before leaving:

“I won’t come anymore..”


	4. A light of hope

It’s been one month since that disastrous day and Sheba had kept her word. At the beginning, Solomon had decided to not try to find her in order to give her time to think alone but now, he wasn’t so sure that it was the best method. He didn’t have thought of asking her where she lived, blissed by the happiness of meeting her again. And furthermore, there is a boyfriend. Someone by her side who probably makes her happy. Someone else than him. Solomon clenched his fists in frustration. That thought was unbearable. What to do now? He glanced at his counter absently and, all of a sudden, stared wide-eyed. He had just found the solution.

There was an unexpected crowd in front of the university at noon. Many students – girls for most of them – stopped to observe the tall and handsome unknown who was waiting in front of the main entrance. He was holding a bag which looked a bit heavy but he didn’t seem to mind it. Sheba finally came after being informed by a comrade that a gorgeous man was here for her at the entrance. The young woman glanced at him looking obviously displeased. He, on the contrary, smiled at her with a gentle expression.

Sheba sighed.

“Why are you here? Are you harassing me now that I’m not coming anymore? You are acting a bit like a stalker honestly.”

Solomon chuckled which made her flush with anger. She definitely looked like an angry kitty. The teasing was an integral part of their relationship. Now that he had recollected his past life memories, Solomon couldn’t even imagine not having that kind of interactions with her. He finally said:

“You should stop being so paranoid, I just came here to give you this”

She looked at the bag he held out towards her. She took it and asked:

“What’s in there?”

“The book you forgot that day” he answered and added “I was thinking that you might need it”

Sheba fidgeted, seeming ill-at-ease.

“Sorry for making you come up to here and also... Sorry for what happened last time...”

Solomon frowned slightly.

“Do you regret what happened?”

Sheba looked away.

“Please, I don’t want to talk about this. Thanks for the book anyway.”

The young man smiled triumphantly.

“You didn’t answer my question though.”

Before Sheba could answer, they heard someone calling her name. A tall young man with short blonde hair and green eyes was waving at them and heading for where they were. Solomon noticed that Sheba froze at his sight. The newcomer took place next to the young woman and, to Solomon’s displeasure, kissed her cheek and held her hand. Sheba seemed definitely like she wanted to be anywhere else but here. Solomon too.

So, this was the so-called boyfriend. He seemed good-looking and really friendly. Solomon hoped he was, at least, not really smart but there were few chances that a college student would be.

“Hi, nice to meet you!” the friendly guy said to him “I’m Samuel”

He looked at him with a nice smile to which Solomon forced himself to return with a nicer one.

“He’s my boyfriend and Samuel, this is Solomon, he’s the bookseller I went to for my art books.” Sheba said to Samuel “Apparently, I had forgotten one. But Solomon needs to go back now.”

She glanced at him with an insistent look.

“Don’t you?”

“I do” he answered “but you have to come tonight to pay for it.”

Samuel seemed taken aback.

“Wait a minute, I’ve already heard your name! You are the owner of The Magic Lamp, this bookshop where Sheba goes every afternoon.”

The young woman blushed and tried to deny it but vain. Samuel kept on talking.

“She told me about your deliveries issues and that she had to stay very often to wait for them. Thank you for taking care of that bother!”

Solomon smiled and replied:

“No problem, I was more sorry for Sheba who had to wait for hours, she was so bored! She couldn’t even come home until night!”

They both laughed while the young woman looked like she was boiling. Solomon decided it was time to leave and said to Sheba:

“I’ll wait for you this afternoon! Bye! Nice to have met you, Samuel”

Solomon left the university, feeling lighter. This visit was not that bad after all. He could actually have seen a light of hope during this conversation.


	5. The magic lamp

It was already dark outside and there was still no sign of Sheba. Solomon started to feel worried about the direction his plan was going. And like an idiot, he even had given her the bag instead of keeping it “as hostage”. Of course she owed him money but nothing actually guaranteed that she would show up. What will happen if she didn’t by the way? He couldn’t nevertheless sue her... Would he? Solomon felt suddenly desperate and very pitiful. He was like in front of an insuperable wall, surrounded by darkness. He was sitting behind his counter, the head between his hands when he heard the unhoped for sound. The one of the bell.

He lifted his head so quickly he almost hurt himself but that didn’t matter. She came, that was all what counted. Sheba was still standing at the entrance holding the bag he gave her and looking slightly upset. Solomon couldn’t blame her for that. She looked at him and said “I came as you said, can we end this already?” The young man invited her with a hand gesture to sit on the chair they used every afternoon to chat for hours. She refused by shaking the head and started to search in her bag to finally take a purse out of it. She headed for the counter and put notes and coins on it.

“I remember the price so, is that the right amount?” she asked drily.

Solomon counted and started to answer her question:

“It’s indeed the right amount _but_..”

Sheba seemed to lose patience.

“But what?” she asked again with an anger voice.

The young man looked at her calmly and replied:

“But I cannot accept it, sorry.”

Sheba looked confused for a moment, then asked:

“What could be the problem this time? Give me a valid ground!”

Solomon answered with the same calm tone:

“I need you first to give answers to my questions.”

The young woman flared up.

“I don’t have time for your stupid riddles, I need to go home now! My boyfriend is waiting for me!” This argument didn’t have the expected effect she wanted. Solomon remained merciless “Either you accept the deal or I’ll sue you for unpaid merchandise, you choose...”

Sheba headed eventually for the chair where she sat, looking defeated. Solomon sighed silently in relief. At least, his stratagem worked. He sat on the chair in front of her with a little twinge of sorrow. Back then, they used to chat and laugh for hours but now, there was only an awkward and heavy silence. Sheba was waiting, her arms crossed and her horns raised comically on her head. She glanced at him coldly and said:

“So, what do you want to know exactly?”

Solomon glanced at her back and replied:

“Before starting, I need you to promise me to answer sincerely and to think very carefully before replying to my questions.”

Sheba was about to answer back with a sarcastic reply but something in Solomon’s gaze stopped her. Instead, she nodded and waited for the first question.

“Alright” the blue haired man “First, I would like to know why you stayed every afternoon with me even after getting your book. And remember, you have to be honest with me.”

Sheba fidgeted on her chair and replied:

“I stayed because I liked your company. Talking with you was refreshing, I felt really comfortable and understood with you. Happy?”

“ _Understood_ you said” Solomon replied “Because people tend to not understand you, is it?”

Sheba blushed a little but answered anyway.

“I guess... I have no difficulties talking with you unlike with the others.”

Solomon couldn’t stop himself from asking.

“Even with Samuel?”

He expected her denying vigorously which is why he was surprised when he saw her nodding in silence, looking a bit guilty. Solomon tried to stay composed as he didn’t have finished, he needed more answers.

“Why didn’t you tell your boyfriend the truth about why you stayed so long every day?”

Sheba looked away but even so replied.

“I didn’t want him to worry over nothing. If he had known how we really spent our afternoons, he would maybe have thought wrong.”

“But what if he didn’t have minded... He could even have joined our conversations. Unless you didn’t want to...” Solomon replied.

Sheba flushed and started to stutter.

“N-No, of c-course not! What are you t-trying to imply?”

The young man smiled softly and said:

“Admit it, you liked the time we spent alone together. It felt out of reality. I know, I felt the same.”

There were two last questions he needed to ask her.

“There are many bookshops in the district. Why mine? Why did you pick the old and gloomy one among all of them?”

Sheba seemed destabilized by that question. She reflected in silent and glanced at Solomon into his eyes.

“I still wonder why actually... All I know is that I felt oddly attracted to that shop like... like something or someone was waiting for me out there. And then I saw the name and, deep down, I knew.”

Solomon felt a lump in his throat suddenly. The magic lamp, that was the name of his shop. It was the name too that convinced him to buy this shop. At that moment, he didn’t know why.

“Do you know to which tale this title refers?” Solomon asked.

Sheba nodded and replied:

“Oh yes, the tale of Alad..”

She interrupted suddenly, seeming to realize something. The young woman looked lost in her thoughts. She whispered “Aladdin.. Solomon... Sheba” and started to shiver. Solomon approached her slowly and kept on asking her:

“Remember, you said you felt like we had a connection you and me. Do you think all of this is just a coincidence?”

Sheba stood up abruptly and said:

“I-I need to get out, I can’t stay here!”

Solomon tried to keep her by holding her by her arms.

“You need to remember Sheba, please. Remember us! Remember our son!”

Sheba was shaking and whispered:

“Sorry, I’m so sorry”

And fainted.


	6. Wish you were here

Beep, one time, beep, one time, beep. Solomon knew this song by heart those days. The sound that Sheba’s artificial breathing apparatus was making to help her breathe. After she fainted that evening, she didn’t regain consciousness. After trying for twenty minutes to wake up her from what Solomon thought was a simple faintness, her state was worrying enough to call the emergencies. The doctors were speechless about her case: how does a young healthy woman can be in a coma without any cause? All the tests were negative for drugs, alcohol, genetic reasons, hypoglycemia or other diseases. Her body was in a perfect state and yet, it’s been four days Sheba was lying motionless on a hospital bed in a grave unconscious state.

This situation confused everyone and affected in particular her relatives. The security had to interfere quickly when the so-called boyfriend stormed in her room and tried to punch Solomon while he was screaming “What did you do to her? You bastard, I know this is your fault!” The hospital’s security had to separate them and now, the two men were allowed to visit the patient only separately. Solomon was here nearly all the time except when it was Samuel’s turn. He could have witnessed how much Sheba was well-liked by her university comrades and teachers which actually didn’t surprise him at all. Even back then, in their original world, the magicians and other species loved and respected her deeply.

Solomon, who was sitting on a chair near her bed, looked at the young woman looking almost like she was sleeping peacefully. The doctors had interrogated him for hours about what exactly happened that evening. Of course, he couldn’t have tell them the truth – they would have thought he was a psycho and that he could have poisoned her in a delirium. He stacked to the official reason of their meeting, he even had a witness. Sheba came to pay for a book she ordered and they chatted a bit before she started suddenly to feel ill, shiver and eventually faint. He allowed an equip to analyze the entire shop and was not surprised they didn’t find anything. Solomon was actually the only one who knew the reason why she was in that state. She started to remember.

He was convinced it was because her memories were going back that her mind and body didn’t stand it but he still wondered why. He experienced himself the violence of realizing who you really are but he was able to stand it. What was the difference with her? And, more important, will she wake up one day? Solomon shivered at that thought. She had to come back, he had lost her once, not twice. He definitely wouldn’t stand it, he knew that! All his life he had felt apart from everyone and was convinced that a part inside of him had always been waiting for her. It was written.

Solomon was so absorbed by his thoughts that he didn’t hear the door opening. It was when Samuel cleared his throat that the blue haired man realized they were both in the same room. They both stared at each other in silence until stood up from his chair and started to leave. He was taking his vest when he heard Samuel saying:

“You can stay if you want...” Solomon looked at him surprised and nodded in silence before sitting once again on his chair. The blonde haired man sat on the other side of the bed and looked at Sheba.

“She seems so calm and peaceful, it looks unreal...”

Samuel sighed and glanced at Solomon.

“I’m sorry for... you know.. trying to punch in the face and accusing you... I was overwhelmed after what happened and maybe a bit jealous too... And when I heard that you were innocent, I felt really like a dumbass. So, are we... you know, cool?”

He seemed really ill-at-ease right now. Solomon smiled lightly and replied: “No problem..” which seemed to relieves Samuel a lot. Beep, one time, beep.

“When I saw you too at the university, I knew.” the young man said with a sad tone “She seemed oddly happy every day she came back from your bookshop. I tried to calm down this little voice in my head which was saying to be really careful about you but I realized how dangerous you actually were that day. She had known you for nearly a week and yet, your chemistry was incredible. I kinda knew it was over at that moment.”

He was saying those words so bitterly and yet, his gaze at her was really gentle.

“He really does love her” Solomon thought.

The young man didn’t know what to say, all the words he could have pronounced seemed futile. Actually, they were not needed at that moment. They stayed for a while in silent and then left when they both felt exhausted at eleven pm. They were now at the main entrance and were about to part when Samuel said:

“By the way, I don’t know if Sheba had told you before but tomorrow is her birthday so don’t be surprised if you find the room full of flowers and gifts. As you have maybe noticed, she was liked by many people in the university.”

Solomon smiled and replied:

“Yes, I saw...” Samuel said in a sad tone “We were supposed to celebrate t together with her friends. Her 22nd birthday.”

They both finally parted after saying good bye to each other. It was 11:30 pm when Solomon arrived at his apartments situated above his shop. He lied on the bed and looked at his watch. In exactly thirty minutes, Sheba will turn 22. Solomon closed his eyes. Even reincarnated, their bodies had kept the exact birthday date. And the same age. 22 for her and 26 for him. How odd... Solomon suddenly opened wide his eyes. How come didn’t he have realized before?? He jumped out his bed and caught his vest. He had to come back to the hospital right now.


	7. Wherever you are

The wind was whipping against Solomon’s face and he was out of breath. His mind was racing with thoughts. Despite almost not feeling his legs anymore, he sensed like a new energy was running through his veins. People walking on the streets stared at the young man who was putting on a spurt and yet was bearing an intense expression. The hospital was near now. Solomon ran so fast he arrived at 11:55 pm. He stopped at the entrance, trying to catch his breath. He pretended to the nurse that he had forgotten his phone in Sheba’s room and that he needed it urgently.

Solomon was now running up the stairs and arrived at the corridor but froze in front of door of Sheba’s room. He glanced at his watch. 11:59 pm. He prayed silently to have guessed right.

“Please, oh please” Solomon whispered, leaning his forehead on the white door.

He glanced once again at his watch. It was midnight and officially Sheba’s birthday. She turned 22 today. Solomon took a deep breath and opened slowly the door.

Sheba was still lying on the hospital bed but her eyes were now opened, glancing at the young man. They both remained silent for a moment until Sheba said in a low voice:

“I dreamt of our homeland, Solomon. I dreamt of our friends and us.”

Solomon walked slowly towards the bed and hugged the young woman, his head on hers. Despite being very weak, she made the effort to hug him back with a warmth he didn’t know he missed so badly until now.

“I remember the day we met when you saved me in that tower. I wonder what would have happened if I died before you found me.”

Solomon hugged her tighter.

“I’m sure this would have not been the end for us. I would have found you once again in another life.”

They stayed like this for a while, happy to be able to be together.

“There is something I still don’t understand, why were you the one who remembered everything first?”

Sheba was sitting on the bed and was eating her breakfast while Solomon was drinking his usual coffee of the morning. Few minutes after she woke up, the doctors took care of Sheba to check if everything was okay and Solomon had to stay in the waiting room. Solomon looked at her surprised and said:

“Everything? Do you mean that you remembered things before?”

Sheba nodded and replied:

“Only in my dreams but I didn’t know they were actually memories... I remember feeling awful in a small place and that I saw a hand held towards me and a confident smile saying words I didn’t understand. Everytime I made that dream, I felt a warm feeling but I didn’t know why.”

Solomon smiled.

“I see”

He reflected and finally said:

“I realized yesterday that all of this was not a coincidence. I died when I was 26 and my dreams about our past life intensified when I actually turned 26. Your face began to appear clearly to me the night of my birthday.”

Sheba seemed to realize something.

“The day we met!”

Solomon smiled.

“Yes, it was also the day we met in the tower!”

The young woman closed her eyes gently and opened them with a confused look.

“Oh my, what day is it today?”

Solomon laughed and replied:

“I forgot to tell you Sheba. Happy birthday!”

The young woman smiled back and said:

“Of course it’s my birthday today!”

Sheba was allowed to leave the hospital few days after but was recommended to not come back to the university until next week. She broke up with Samuel who took it surprisingly pretty well. She had moved in Solomon’s apartment and stayed with him in the bookshop, making up the delay in her courses. Sheba glanced outside the window and declared to Solomon when they were no customers:

“All this time, you have tried to bring me back. I’m sure deep inside I knew but the revelation was too huge, too painful... Thank you for never giving up on me, Solomon...”

The young man stood up from his chair, walked towards her. He leaned behind her and kissed her cheek while placing his hand on her round belly.

“The doctor confirmed it will be a strong and healthy boy.” Sheba declared, looking peacefully.

Solomon smiled and replied:

“I think we already know his name, don’t we?”


	8. Bonus chapter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I wanted to make a sequel with a pregnant Sheba and also, a baby Aladdin with his parents, so here's the first chapter :D
> 
> I suggest you to read first the tegaki about Sheba and Solomon when she expected Aladdin to fully understand one of the scenes in this chapter...

Months have passed and Sheba’s belly kept growing significantly. As she had recollected all of her memories of her past life, she felt now relieved to be able to bring her pregnancy to term alongside Solomon without any imminent threats upon their heads. She insisted on keeping following her classes until the end despite Solomon’s worries. Sheba had always been a very active person and already felt like suffocating in her hospital room – staying all day long in the library would be a living nightmare. Besides, as she pointed it out to Solomon, the doctor required that she’ll take walks every day and slow down on the food, otherwise it could become difficult for her petite build in the near future. Attending classes will be the perfect way to exercise reasonably at least five days a week and being away from any temptation of eating sweets “for the baby’s sake”. Solomon ended up agreeing reluctantly, much to Sheba’s pleasure.

She was used to his ambivalent attitude towards the happy event they were about to celebrate: his overprotective behavior towards her state as a pregnant woman as well as the baby’s safety was moving but, at the same time, this emotional distance that kept increasing between their child and him, almost as if he was scared of this little being, started to make her worried. She knew why he felt like that – they had already been talking about it when they were living in their original world – but she was already in her seventh month of pregnancy and, each day, wanted more and more to talk about it. If only she could find the courage to talk to him about that matter…

One afternoon, as the library was closed – like every Sunday – Sheba was enjoying her rare moments of free time to indulge herself in a relaxing activity – drawing whatever came to her mind in her sketchbook – while she was comfortably sitting in an old armchair. Her mind drifted naturally towards the future room of the baby and she ended up sketching a cradle. She considered her drawing with little enthusiasm and tried to improve it without much success.

She was so absorbed in her work that she just noticed Solomon’s presence when he put down two cups of tea on the wooden low table in front of her. Their eyes met and Sheba nodded in silent to thank him for the gentle attention. Solomon smiled at her in response and sat in the other armchair in front of her, separated by the table, with a book in hand.

She was about to draw her attention back to the cradle when she heard him saying:

“You have that usual look on your face when you just have drawn something not very conclusive, right?”

Her eyes still focused on the paper, she mumbled:

“You guessed right… I really don’t know what to do with this: I want it not too big but not too small, something that will be practical and original but which can also adapt itself with the circumstances. If only we could use magic in this world…”

“Which circumstances?” Solomon asked, absent-mindedly, already opening his book.

“Our child” Sheba replied, wondering now if it wouldn’t be better to have a rocking cradle instead of a regular one “I haven’t imagined that designing a cradle could be so difficult”

“A cradle, uh…”

The tone of his voice made Sheba lift her head to look at Solomon who, in the meantime, had stopped his reading. He seemed suddenly so pensive, probably at the thought of their newborn baby, living with them and sleeping in his little bed.

She put down softly the sketchbook and the pencil on the table and crossed her hands on her belly. Now was the time she had been waiting for. She took a deep breath and started:

“You know, I’ve never actually asked you how you were raised and by whom in this world. You know that I was in an orphanage, so it didn’t really change for me from Alma Toran, but what about you?”

Solomon looked at her for a moment and then, her belly. He didn’t seem surprised or angered by her question which was a relief. He ended up answering:

“My father died when I was two and my mom immersed herself in her work, probably to forget her grief. She was a successful business woman and travelled very often overseas so I didn’t have time to see her a lot. My father’s family was very wealthy so money had never been a problem. I was raised by several governesses and I was homeschooled.”

Sheba squeezed her hands without a word. Once again, he was all alone. Once again, he didn’t feel the warmth of doting parents. It was so unfair.

Solomon noticed the change in her attitude and smiled gently at her. He added:

“Don’t be sad for me. After all, you too could have had a family but I guess some things never change. We both ended up pretty well, don’t you agree?”

“I do” she granted “But I can’t help it, sorry… You must have felt so lonely all this time…”

“Well, it felt less lonely as you say thanks to the books the domestics kept on buying for me” he replied, gently, and started to smile “And when I could finally collect the inheritance from my father, I moved and studied to become a bookseller. I started to have the life I’ve always wanted: freedom, friends and the prospects of discovering new places. Once I got my diploma, I started to look for the ideal place to establish myself and, when I did, bought it. And then, I met you… And then, you became a lovely huge barrel”

“Thank you for adding 'lovely', dear” Sheba added, starting to laugh.

“You’re welcome, honey” Solomon replied, laughing in turn.

The atmosphere got lighter little by little and, when the laughter started to fade, Sheba knew she didn’t have to fear anymore of keeping on asking him more about his personal feelings. They both trust each other deeply and soon, they’ll be parents of the child they were meant to have. She leant slightly towards Solomon and asked:

“Do you remember our conversation when we were our past selves about our child?” “You mean, the one where Tess was wondering how such a petite stature could even hold a baby?” Solomon asked back.

“That’s how you remember it??”

“Well, it was a legit question, after all” Solomon chuckled. At least, he was having fun – even though it was by teasing her. “You told me you were seeing each life a something precious and you didn’t know how to talk to a baby. I advised you to talk to him just like you do with any of us but I never got to hear what you wanted to say”

Solomon started to scratch his hair, looking embarrassed and Sheba suddenly realized why.

“Is that… because of the dance for the doll? For our baby?” she asked with a little smirk on her face.

He turned red and started to fidget as if he wanted to forget a very bad memory.

“It was your stupid dance, to begin with! Not mine!” he exclaimed “I didn’t know what to do so I followed your example, making a fool of myself!”

Sheba wanted to laugh of course but she felt so happy she didn’t want to upset him more.

“You really tried to bond with him, Solomon, this is great!” she declared with a gentle smile “And what did you tell him? The same thing as I did?”

“I… I told him that I wanted him to be more like you than me, frank and easily friendly with people. That I also wanted him to be a good brother like Setta and Ithnan and, if he meets someone he loves, to be a happy couple like Wahid and Falan… And that he should discover the world on his own and find his answer. But it felt like I was imposing my will on him, so…”

Sheba stood up, walked around the coffee table and headed towards Solomon. When she was right in front of him, she put slowly her palms on his temples and softly lifted his head to kiss his forehead. First he got surprised by this sudden gesture but then, smiled. He put down his book on the table and guided Sheba cautiously to make her sit on his laps, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck. They were both now looking at her round stomach and Sheba said:

“I know you fear to be like a tyrant to your own child, imposing your desires without understanding a bit about him but trust me about it, Solomon, as long as you are by this little boy’s sides and talk to him, even if it feels awkward, he’ll know that his father loves him and wishes him the best. And that’s all what matters.”

Solomon approached and hesitant hand towards Sheba’s belly and asked:

“If one day, I start to act like my father…” “You won’t” she replied almost instantly. “But if…” Sheba understood he had to say it “If it happens, Sheba…”

She put her hand on his and put them on gently near the place where the baby was currently.

“I’ve always been here to support you, Solomon and that will never change. We’ll raise that little boy together as a family, which means we’ll love him, play with him, make him discover so much things and also, call each other out whenever we think there is a problem” “

Yes” Solomon granted with a soft smile and added “That also means not too much sweets for him, Sheba, you get that?”

“What? Of course I won’t!”

“If the baby has your appetite, I’ll definitely have to sell the library…”

“Shut up!”


	9. Bonus chapter: 2nd part

Sheba had pictured this scene countless times in her mind and yet, she would have never imagined that, the moment the midwife laid the tiny little boy on her chest, it would have been possible to love someone this much. Only a few minutes ago, she was in such pain she thought she could die and even feared that, once again, she wouldn’t be able to see their son. Nevertheless, she kept on pushing for both of their sakes, and also thanks to Solomon’s encouragements – she probably had crushed his poor hand a thousand times ever since the beginning of the contractions.

And then came the moment of relief and, despite the tiredness and the pain, she could feel the happiness overwhelming her heart as well as Solomon’s when they both heard the baby crying.

They were now resting all alone in the hospital room, Sheba sitting on the bed with their newborn in her arms, Solomon next to her. They decided to not tell immediately their relatives and friends about the birth so that they could enjoy this moment in peace. Sheba remembered the odd look the nurses gave them when they informed them about their decision, probably because most parents want to make sure that everyone will be here to admire the wonder they created. But neither Solomon nor Sheba bothered about what people could think about this somewhat selfish behavior – they needed this moment just them three.

Now, the happy parents were completely fascinated by the sight of this little being: everything was so tiny and seemed so fragile. Sheba enjoyed playing with his little fingers which relaxed and then bent as if he was trying to grab something he couldn’t see while Solomon was just looking at them as if he wouldn’t dare touching him.

He put his arm around Sheba’s shoulder, gently kissed her temple and said:

“I still cannot believe we both were able to create a full-fleshed human being, it seems unreal…”

Sheba was now slowly stroking the baby’s cheek with the back of her fingers which made him slightly babbled. Solomon was right, bearing a baby was one thing but seeing him and carrying him in her arms, feeling his warmth for the first time was something else.

“I talked to him so many times when he was in my womb and yet, for the first time, I am speechless…” Sheba said “Our baby boy is here, right here, with us and I’m almost scared of all this happiness”

Solomon bent slightly over to look at their son’s face and smiled.

“He has your eye shape, see?” he commented “Actually, he looks a lot like you"

"You think so?" Sheba asked and considered his face in turn “Maybe you’re right but you know he’s still little, at their age, the face shape tends to change very quickly. Plus, he has your eye color…”

“Most newborns have blue eyes, that doesn’t prove anything”

“You don’t know, I’m sure he’ll have your eye color and probably the same hair color too! Well, he’s bold right now” she added after catching Solomon’s doubtful glance “But we’ll find out soon”

“If that’s the case, what a waste…” Solomon sighed.

“But why? Blue is such a beautiful color…”

“I’d rather him to look the most like you, actually”

Sheba considered Solomon in silence and declared:

“You know, I think what matters is that he’s happy and healthy, looks don’t really matter… Besides, if he looks like you, I fear he could become a womanizer”

“Because I look like one?” Solomon wondered.

“Oh, come on, you’re handsome, don’t pretend you don’t know!”

Solomon looked at her, a bit dumbfounded and ended up chuckling. Sheba felt suddenly embarrassed and said:

“Stop that, you idiot! This isn’t funny!”

“It is” Solomon replied, still chuckling but then added “And you’re very pretty so I’m not concerned about our baby. On the other hand, I’m curious about what he’ll be interested later, I hope he’ll like books…”

“Oh, I’m sure he will, don’t worry… Our little Aladdin…” Sheba said softly and added “Could you take him in your arms for a second, please. I am sitting in this position for too long and my back starts to hurt”

“Oh…” he said, looking suddenly nervous “Of course, if you have to…”

She knew he was intimidated at the thought of holding Aladdin for the first time. Ever since he was born, he quite stood back as she expected. The excuse she had just found was a bit obvious but she knew she had to be here – at least at the beginning – to assist Solomon with bonding with their newborn. And she knew he was clearly aware of this.

She faced him and made him approach his arms slowly towards their son to take him. Any other person in this room would have probably wanted to hide their laughter at the sight of this grown-man trying to hold his baby as if it was a time bomb or something of the sort but Sheba knew how much effort he was actually putting right now and what it meant.

Once he was in his father’s arms, Aladdin started to move, babbling and moving awkwardly his little arms in the air. Sheba looked at them without saying a word and, seeing Solomon’s amazement at the close sight of their son, she decided to understood that the another excuse wouldn’t be too much.

“Oh, while you’re holding him, I’ll take the opportunity to go to the bathroom” she said while standing up.

She was about to add that it wouldn’t take long to reassure a probably panicked Solomon but realized he didn’t even lift his head towards her, as if he couldn’t look away from Aladdin’s face.

Sheba suddenly felt like she was overwhelmed with a wave of emotions at the sight and headed quickly towards the bathroom situated next to the bed, separated by a wall. She shut the door behind her and tried to breathe slowly to collect herself. She didn’t want to spoil this important moment between them with her stupid crying.

She suddenly heard Solomon’s voice through the walls – which were apparently paper-thin – talking softly to their son:

“You know, we didn’t have the time to meet you back then in Alma Toran. Your mom has always been comfortable with you, it was already natural for her. She has always been very lively, I think you noticed, and friendly with every being she meets. This is a trait of her character I’ve always admired and, I admit, quite envied.”

Sheba walked closer to the door as silently as possible. No sound could be heard except Aladdin’s babblings. It was so calm she almost jumped when Solomon spoke again:

“I don’t know if I’ll be a good father for you but I promise I will do anything to make sure you’ll be as happy and safe as possible. Even though Sheba’s methods seem sometimes a bit fishy, I know she’s guided by her maternal instinct and I fully trust her… Still, I can’t guarantee you I’ll do the dance again”

Sheba heard him laugh at the thought and she put her hands and her forehead against the door, closed her eyes and smiled.

“I saw sometimes Wahid playing with Tess with dolls, balls and things like that. I guess every baby enjoys it, so I’ll count on your mom to show me how to play with you. At least, when you’ll be older, if you like to read, I’ve already prepared a set of books I’m sure you’ll enjoy as much as I did when I was your age. We could read them together if you want to…”

Sheba straightened up slowly and, unable to hold it in any longer, cried in silence, a hand on her mouth to make sure she won’t be heard. She was so happy her heart could burst. The sense of worry she had felt earlier disappeared and she knew deep down that, from now on, they’ll be fine together as a family.


	10. Bonus: Third chapter

Aladdin was seven now and both Solomon and Sheba were amazed at how fast he grew up. They still remembered the first months after his birth. Everything was new to them such as feeding, changing diapers or singing lullabies in the middle of the night. Solomon even jokingly commented that fighting fanatical magicians was less exhausting as they could, at least, sleep at night. Nevertheless, he was taking care of their son as much as Sheba despite having a job aside.

She was sometimes too exhausted during the day as she was breast-feeding him all day long – including every night – which made Solomon decide to look after Aladdin while he was attending, at the same time, the bookshop.

And so, until he slept through the night, their son was next to his father behind the counter in a baby swing that Sheba insisted to buy “for the baby’s sake” a good part of the day. The hushed atmosphere of a bookshop was perfect for Aladdin’s afternoon naps and Solomon found himself enjoying more than he thought these moments with his son. He sometimes stopped his reading just to observe him, sunk into a deep sleep.

But, as their son started to grow, changes had to be made and, in the end, a small playpen was set up, still behind the counter, even though Solomon started to feel a bit cramped, each time he had to walk near it to help a client.

The customers started to notice more and more Aladdin’s presence and some of them even came several times a week just to see him. In a short time, the child became the bookshop’s main attraction. Everyone wanted to see that little adorable blue-haired boy who was babbling unintelligible words while playing with his toys, living in his own little world. Solomon was actually surprised that none of his clients had ever complained about the possible inconveniences a baby could occur in such a quiet place but he understood quickly that, far from being a hindrance, the child constantly reminded that the bookshop was open for every client without distinction. Besides, he was well-behaved and hardly noisy.

Solomon had overcome his apprehension about holding his son in his arms and learned, little by little, how to get used to Aladdin’s habits and how to communicate with him, although it was still sometimes a bit difficult to understand. Seeing his son’s eyes brighten everytime his father was trying to communicate with him – a mix between words and gesture – was enough for Solomon to be happy. Sheba barely made efforts to accomplish the same things as him but never taunted him.

On the contrary, she was completely supportive of every effort he was trying to accomplish and ended up either with a big smile whenever it succeeds or more words of encouragement when it fails. For her part, she enjoyed drawing with him and told him many stories including the imaginary world of Alma Toran with incredible creatures and brave magicians fighting with magic. It was Aladdin’s favorite tale to the point his parents reenacted – much to Solomon’s reticence at the beginning – parts of their battle against the villains.

It soon appeared that Solomon was oddly gifted for this little game, so much that both his son and Sheba always ended up wanting him to do more. As it was only the three of them, he was using his knowledge of all the stories he read to embody all Aladdin’s favorite characters: the great leader of the good magicians – which was his father himself without his knowing – but also Momo from the Manticore tribe or even sometimes, the villains themselves. Solomon even acted a little wide-eyed girl who wanted comically to destroy everything when she wasn’t happy, much to Sheba’s annoyance. But strangely, Aladdin really liked this character and was always laughing everytime she appeared which ended up making Sheba laugh herself.

The time has passed faster than expected and now that a seven-year-old Aladdin could walk, form understandable sentences and read, his curiosity knew no bonds much to his parents’ pleasure. He was walking around the shop, trying to grab every book he wanted to read and often gave Sheba or Solomon a fright after being almost crushed by the weight of the books that fell while he was trying to grab the huge volumes he was eager to read. Both Solomon and him got a serious scolding from Sheba and agreed on a new system: every time Aladdin wanted to read a new book, he’ll ask either his father or his mother.

One day, as Sheba was cramming for her art teacher certification on the kitchen table and Solomon, sitting at the opposite was unpacking the new books he ordered for the library, they heard a little voice that seemed to come from behind a huge book next to them that looked almost like it was standing by itself.

“Mom, dad? Can I ask you something?”

Solomon considered the place where the voice came from and then, turned towards Sheba with a grin on his face.

“Say Sheba” he asked “I wonder why does this book suddenly calls us ‘mom’ and ‘dad’ as if we were his parents? It’s odd, don’t you think?”

Even though she was focused on her lecture notes, Sheba grinned in turn. Now that Solomon was fully comfortable with their son, teasing him had become an everyday habit.

“Indeed, Solomon” she replied “I thought we only had a little human boy at home…”

They heard Aladdin sighing and putting down the huge volume on the table, looking at his parents with a tired look on his face. They both had to hold back their laughter at the sight of his little pouting cheeks. He looked at his father and asked with a serious tone:

“Do you always have to make the same joke everytime?”

“I recognize it was much funnier when you were trying to convince us it was you and not the book that was speaking” Solomon replied still grinning.

Aladdin’s expression didn’t change and he commented:

“You even force poor mom to play with your game…” then turned towards Sheba and added “If you encourage him, he’ll never stop, you know”

She laughed and stroke gently her son’s cheek.

“Sorry, Aladdin” she replied while giggling “I guess this is your dad’s way to tell you he cares. He does the same with me”

“And your mom is so sensitive, I barely have to make efforts” Solomon commented, raising an eyebrow while looking at her.

Sheba turned beet-red and exclaimed:

“Your father can be also quite annoying too, Aladdin, don’t follow his example!”

Aladdin looked at his mom amused then, turned towards Solomon and said:

“You were right, dad, it’s impressive! She almost looks like the little girl you were acting when I was little!”

Father and son ended up laughing together while Sheba decided to give and got back to her revisions. “Well, no doubt about that” she thought “It’s definitely his son…”

When they calmed down, Aladdin remembered why actually he had interrupted his reading earlier and asked:

“Oh, right, my question! Why was I named Aladdin?”

Solomon and Sheba looked at each other and it was suddenly like a silent dialog between them through their eyes. They never talked to Aladdin about their original world – at least, not seriously. They still wanted him to know about Alma Toran so they created this imaginary world when he was little from their memories but, of course, they never actually told the truth about it. How would he believe this? It took time to make Sheba realize what happened but Aladdin… He used to be a fetus at the times he was in Alma Toran and then grew up inside the Room of Fortitude. He didn’t need to know what actually happened, what good would it bring?

They jumped a little when Aladdin spoke again:

“Isn’t it because of the name of the shop?” The Magic Lamp.

Solomon and Sheba smiled.

“Do you know the story?” Solomon asked.

“Yes and I really liked it!” Aladdin replied with a smile.

“Did you know that it was the name of this shop that convinced your mom to come into the shop and it was how we met?” Solomon asked again while looking at Sheba with gentle eyes.

Aladdin turned quickly towards his mother and asked excited:

“This is true, mom??” Sheba nodded and answered: “I really liked that name” and added in whisper “And I fell in love again…”

Aladdin looked at her, a little puzzled after the last comment but kept on:

“I was also wondering something. There was that big-breasted lady yesterday that chuckled when I answered her question…”

Sheba tried to pretend she didn’t hear the ‘big-breasted’ part. She still wondered where did that obsession with breasts come from. Solomon didn’t seem particularly into this. She took a deep breath and asked:

“Why did she want to know?” Aladdin looked at her, then his father and replied:

“’What are your parents’ names?’”


End file.
